Commutator for causing the ignition of the charges in explosion-engines.



PATEN'I'ED DEG. 15, 1903.

W. G. WILSON. OOMMUTATOR FOR OAUSING THE IGNITION OF THE CHARGES INEXPLOSION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

IiPatented December 15, 1903 UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER GORDON WILSON, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

COMMUTATOR FOR CAUSING THE IGNITION OF THE CHARGES lN EXPLOSION-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,770, dated December15, 1903.

Application filed June 28,1902. Serial No. 112,918. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER GORDON W1L- SON, engineer, a subject of theKing of Great Britain, residing in the city of \Vestminster,

5 in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Oommntators for Causing the Ignition of the Charges inExplosion-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in conimutators for causing theignition of the charge in explosion-engines.

According to this invention a contact or a number of contactscorresponding to the number of cylinders or explosions to be made ismounted in or on a hollow or solid cylinder or disk in such manner thatcontact is made for the igniting device for each cylinder at eachrevolution or once every two revolutions (as the case may be) of theshaft of the engine or motor, and a spring-brush is mounted on the saidshaft or on the valve-shaft which brush is in electrical connection withone pole of the source of electricity, the other pole being connected tothe igniting device or devices.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates in sectional elevationa commutator constructed according to this invention, and Fig. 2 is across-section thereof on the line A B, Fi 1.

On the shaft foroperating the valves (or, it may be, on the crank-shaftof the engine in the case of an engine having an explosion or otherwiseattachedfor example, by a pin 9which carrier has two lugs e and f. Thelug e has a recess or is made forked at its end atg and thelug fhas asloth nearits outer end and a small hole 2' formed in its end andcommunicating with the slot. One end of a spring-brush it rests in theslot 7t and is provided with a stud or projection Z, which takes intothe hole 'L. The spring of the brush 7t passes through the recess orfork g in the other lug e, by which fork it is kept straight.

Inclosing the spring-brush 7t and concentric with the shaft 0 there is ahollow cylinder 'm, made of non-conducting material and provided with acontact-piece or with more than one con tactpiece. In the example shownthere are four contact-pieces marked a a n n.

during each revolution) a carrier 61 is keyed.

The contact-pieces, which are of similardimensions, are spacedsymmetrically around the interior or surface of the hollow cylinder m inorder that the brush It shall make contact at precisely the samerelative point in the strokes of the engines. The contactpieces are letinto a recess or recesses in the hollow cylinder m, as shown, and flushwith the inner periphery of the latter, being held therein by shortstuds or screws 0, suitably made in one with the said contact-pieces,which tuds are provided with nuts q and also serve as terminals. Theback 9' of the hollow cylinder m is made with a central hole to allowthe shaft 0 to pass through, and the front or cover 3 of the said hollowcylinderis suitably connected thereto and to the back 7' by bolts 15passing right through all three parts. If desired, the front cover 8 maybe transparent or have a window for observation. The cylinder isconveniently held in place by means of spring-clips u, it, also held bythe aforesaid bolts t and passing over the flange o of an end bearing ofthe shaft, or the commutator is held in place by any other suitablemeans. By attaching the commutator to the shaft-bearing in this or inany other convenient manner the former may be partially revolved toadjust the time at which the brush makes electrical contact, and bymeans of a lever 10, fixed to the cylinder m, a connecting-rod, and ascrew and nut or other suitable device the exact moment of ignition withregard to the position of the piston or pistons can be regulated fromthe drivers seat or other convenient place.

A very great advantage obtained by this invention consists therein thathowever much or unevenly the contacts may wear (particularly where thereare two or more) their relative positions are always unaltered and theirpositions with regard to the positions of the pistons in the cylindersof the motor are always the same,except they be altered by moving thecommutator.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A commutator for causing the ignition of the charge in anexplosion-engine comprising a cylindrical casing of insulatory material,one or more contact-pieces countersunk in said casing to be flush withthe interior surface thereof, a carrier to rotate within the casing, alug on the carrier having a recess at its outer end, another lug havinga slot near its outer end and a hole a spring-brush, a pin near the endof the spring, the spring being adapted to take into the recess of onelug and into the slot in the other lug and the pin adapted to take intothe hole of the latter lug, substantially as set forth.

2. A commutator for causing the ignition of the charge in anexplosion-engine comprising a hollow cylindrical casing, a back for thesaid casing with a central hole therein, a cover for the said casing, aplurality of contact-pieces attached to the said casing and having theirinner faces flush with the interior of the casing, a plurality ofterminals each of which is connected to a contact-piece, acarrierfixedly mounted on a revolving shaft passing into the casing, alug on the carrier having a recess at its outer end, another lug havinga slot near its outer end and a hole, a spring-brush, a pin near the endof the spring, the spring of the brush being adapted to take into therecess of one lug and into the slot in the other lug and the pin adaptedto take into the hole of the latter lug, said brush adapted to revolvewith the carrier and to make contact periodically with thecontact-pieces in the casing, substantially as set forth.

3. Acommutatorofthekinddescribedcomprising a cylindrical casing, a backfor the said casing with a central hole therein, a cover for the saidcasing, a plurality of contact-pieces attached to the said casing andhaving their inner faces flush with the interior of the casing, aplurality of terminals each of which is connected to a contact-piece, acarrier fixedly mounted on a revolving shaft passing into the casing, alug on the carrier having a recess at its outer end, another lug havinga slot near its outer end and a hole, a spring-brush, a pin near the endof the spring, the spring of the brush being adapted to take into therecess of one lug and into the slot in the other lug and the pin adaptedto take into the hole of the latter lug, the brush being adapted torevolve with the carrier and to make contact periodically with thecontactpieces in the casing, spring-clips on the easing, a flange on abearing of the revolving shaft over which the spring-clips take and alever fixed to the casing by means of which it may be partiallyrevolved, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER GORDON \VILSON.

Witnesses:

VICTOR JENSEN, WALTER J. SKERTEN.

